Little Dragon
by Daisy Field
Summary: Crimson eyes locked on to each other, one defiant and challenging, the other irritated, with it's tomoe spinning wildly. "Go on, put a genjutsu on me. I f*cking dare you Uchiha." In which a little dragon is born...SI OC, self insert, reincarnation fic.
1. Reincarnated Dragon

**Inspired by _Dreaming of_ _Sunshine by Silver Queen_ _,_ _ Iryo-Nin Kasa by Vaengir, and all of cherryvvoid and Darkpetal16's works._**

* * *

"Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting" —William Wordsworth

* * *

Screams.

The whole room was filled with nothing but agonizing screams and heavy panting.

"Push, Amaya-san, you're almost there!"

The aforementioned woman bit back yet another screech as she gave one more almighty heave.

"The baby's out! And it looks like you're going to have twins!"

"I'm a father?" Haruki, the panicking husband who was waiting nearby blinked in disbelief. When the words finally sunk in, his eyes widened and he repeated with joy "I'm a father!"

" _Yes,_ you're a father, now get over here and hold the baby. The delivery is still going on!" the midwife snapped.

Panic set in again as he hurriedly, but gently took the slightly whimpering newborn.

 _"Men."_ the midwife mentally rolled her eyes as she refocused on the delivering woman. "Just one more now dearie."

"Right." the smiling mother replied, eyes burning with a newfound determination

"Twins...We've got twin daughters," Haruki grinned goofily, still a little dazed from wonder.

"They're wonderful."

The newborns were wrinkly and red, not at all the vision of beauty, but Amaya nodded at the statement. They were perfect.

"What are their names?" the midwife asked, wiping the sweat from her brows.

Eyes softening, she gingerly stroked each of her daughters cheek before she replied "this one will be Karin, sweet fragrance" pointing to the one on the left, before gesturing to the oldest, "and this one will be Kaida, our fierce little dragon."

"Uzumaki Kaida and Uzumaki Karin it is then, our beautiful daughters. Welcome to the world."

At this, Kaida let out an earsplitting wail that caused everyone nearby to cringe at the piercing sound.

"It looks like our little dragon here has quite the pair of lungs here. She's probably happy that she could finally meet her family."

The midwife, who stood near the doorway, disagreed. The cry didn't sound happy. Rather, it reminded her of the time when a widow keened for her son, who had died in a raid by missing-nin. These cries brimmed with despair, grief, and agony.

 _"Don't be silly, as if a mere newborn would cry like that,"_ she chided herself. Leaving the rejoicing family, she couldn't help but think that the baby's wail sounded a little _too_ mournful.

It was almost as if she was grieving for something that was now unattainable.

 _How odd._

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

So this is my first fanfiction on a newly made account. I have been on this site for a _**LONG**_ time now, guest reviewing as IFMP. That's short for I Forgot My Password. Because I did. So this is obviously an SI OC as Karin's older twin sister, Kaida. DO NOT EXPECT REGULAR UPDATES, because, well, life in general. I will be using this to improve my writing skills (at least, what little of them), so I can write my other original fiction.

This chapter was going to be much longer, but when it came to the birth scene, I chickened out. I have no experience in that stuff, and I get REALLY uncomfortable writing that part. I now have a healthy respect for those authors who can churn out 4000+ word chapters. Like, kudos to all of you. I have no idea where I'm going with this story, so I'm making this up as I go. As you can see, my writing skills are sorely lacking, so reviews with honest constructive criticism will be GREATLY appreciated.


	2. Uzumaki Kaida

" _There is no pain so great as the memory of joy in present grief._ " - _Aeschylus_

* * *

 **Re-in-car-na-tion:**

 _noun_

 **The rebirth of a soul in a new body.**

* * *

Death is something that most people don't like to think about. They don't like to think about the possibility of how they could lose everything earned through hard work in one fell swoop.

She was one of those people.

She didn't want to die( _who did, really?_ ).

 ** _But she did._**

A desperate longing for her family, her _**real**_ family,swelled up, reminding her of what she had lost. Her throat suddenly felt smaller and a burning sensation behind her eyes caused everything to become blurry. At least, blurrier then her already fuzzy welled up again and uncontrollable racking sobs overtook her body as she desperately tried to suppress the onslaught of memories that threatened to drown her. _Memories_ she shouldn't have, ranging from building snowmen to blowing dandelions during a summer heat wave.

The funny thing about a crying baby is that once one starts crying, all nearby infants join in. So, Karin accompanies her twin in the waterworks. The resulting sound was terrifying to their father, to say the least.

"Kaida-chan, Karin-chan o shizumemasu,(1)" Haruki panicked, arms waving around. Trying desperately to console his new infants, he reminded Kaida of a headless chicken, as sight that she would have laughed at if she wasn't so distracted by one repeating thought.

 _"I wanna go home,"_ the child (woman?) mentally whimpered while being nestled in a crib ( _a freaking crib for god's sake!_ ). Home, where everything made sense and people didn't go around being reverted back into an infant.

 ** _But she can't._**

When the emotions started to overwhelm her, Kaida ( ** _that wasn't her real name, she was-_** ) cut off her emotions and her logical side took over, lest her already fragile pysche break. God only knows how many times she's done that in her previous life (she never thought that she would ever say those words).

* * *

Haruki sighed in relief when Kaida stopped crying. The sudden outburst from his daughters was unexpected, and he had no idea what caused it. Either way now, the sobbing had ceased. He'd like to think that he was doing at least a decent job for a new parent. His eyes brimmed with an unnamed emotion as he gazed upon his two daughters, silently gushing at the sight of Karin snuggling up to Kaida.

Kami, he loved those two.

* * *

 _"First off, who, what, when, where, and why,"_ the familiar cold feeling washed through her panic, pushing away any emotions it deemed unnecessary and categorizing everything into orderly files.

Starting with the _what_ portion, Kaida slowly pieced through all of her jumbled memories. Apparently, she had died, (a delirious giggle rose up at the thought, which was immediately squashed by the logical side) and she was, dare she say it, _reincarnated._ As in, hey-guess-what-you're-back-from-the-dead (does that make her a zombie or something?).

 _Why_ and _when_ she was here was something that lacked current evidence to solve. She filed that question away until there was further information. Though it suspiciously felt like she was just there as a sick form of entertainment for some deities that had way too much time on their hands.

 _Where_ and _who_ was she was something that Kaida dreaded thinking about. Judging from the brief snippet of words that her ( _ **not**_ ) parents shared, it seemed like she was somewhere in Japan. Or she was just in a Japanese household. However, she distinctly recalled hearing those damned words "Uzumaki" and "Karin." The feeling of her womb mate(another hysterical giggle was stifled) shifting around inside the womb (god, that sounded weird.) was an experience that she couldn't exactly get out of her head. There was also the glimpse of obnoxiously bright red hair( _how was that even natural?_ ). Which, haha, sounded _just_ like the long extinct Uzumaki clan from Naruto. That one _fictional_ story about fire breathing ninja.

She ran through the other possibilities(abducted by a mad scientist who created some anti-aging thing gone wrong, coma with a hyperactive imagination, hallucinogenic drug that somehow slipped past her paranoid checks, etc.), before finally going back to her first thought. Back Before, ( _ **mom, dad, Chris, oh god what about Oliv-**_ ) she had read plenty of SI fanfiction where some unlucky person ( _ **it's her now, oh god, it's not just a nightmare**_ ) had been reborn/dropped into the Narutoverse.

She just never expected it to be real ( _ **she still doesn't want to believe it**_ ).

Desperately flashing through any last minuscule chance that _this_ wasn't real, that she _could still go home_ , Kaida reluctantly swallowed the painful truth. She glanced to her right, where Karin was sleeping peacefully next to her, drooling, before succumbing to the darkness with a final thought in mind.

She had been reincarnated as Uzumaki Kaida, twin sister to Karin and _**there was no chance of going back home**_.

* * *

 _"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth"_ \- Arthur Conan Doyle

* * *

 _ **AN:**_

Uh, this is the second chapter here. I wanted to make Kaida's realization of where she is as realistic as possible. Or at least, what I would do if I was in that position. Because I've read too many stories where the SI just went "Oh look, I'm in the Narutoverse, and I'm going to forget all about my family and friends. Yay!" Uh, no. I'd cry my eyes out before finally accepting it. I know it seems that Kaida accepted that she's in the Narutoverse too easily, but all evidence pointed toward that conclusion. She accepts it, but that doesn't mean she likes it. The bold italicized words in the parenthesis are her emotions leaking through. I don't plan on revealing Kaida's previous name until much later in the story. It's longer than the first chapter, but it's heavily unedited. Reviews will be welcomed with open arms and a happy squeal.

Google translate was used.

(1) calm down Kaida and Karin


	3. Lists and Plans

_"Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory"_ -Dr Seuss

* * *

Being a baby was painful.

Not only did the constant boredom annoy her, but with nothing to do but sleep, her waking hours were filled with flashbacks from her past while nightmares plagued her dreams.

 _A small freckled girl with dark brown curly hair bounced up and down, her grin impossibly wide._

 _"It's snowing, it's snowing! Let's go outside!_ _"_

 _"Livi, don't you dare sing-" a voice warned in suspicion before being interrupted._

 _"Do you wanna build a snowmaaan!"_

 _"You little!" the cry filled with mock anger quickly dissolved into uncontrollable giggling and shrieks of laughter as the older girl chased the still singing child._

 _"Come back here!"_

* * *

Kaida woke up with her heart racing, lips open in a preparation for a cry. Lowering an outstretched hand, she gritted her teeth as fury rose up in her body.

Enough.

She is sick and tired of mourning things that couldn't be changed. That wasn't how she was raised in her past life (it still hurts like nothing else to think of it) and she sure as hell won't start now.

Forcefully shoving away all her memories of the past except anything Naruto related, she tried to distract herself by focusing on something else that could be productive.

Namely, chakra.

Judging by the blurry blobs of color that she could faintly "see" at the edges of her peripheral vision, she guessed that either she had some sort of chakra sensing ability like Karin's, or she was hallucinating because her mind snapped. She hoped that it was the former.

Whenever she tried to focus on the blobs, the sight would slip away. Frustration building up, she tried to _force_ the image to stay by latching on to it and _yanking._ The end result was her chakra, which had stretched out without her noticing, snapping back, causing her to recoil from the harsh backlash. Tears formed as she winced from the stinging sensation deep within her core. _Note to self: Don't try that again unless under adult supervision or further experience._

 _'Hmm, maybe my chakra coil isn't elastic enough? It will probably get stretchier as I get older,'_ she concluded after musing over her (admittedly painful) failure. She remembered something about homeostasis in Biology class, a memory that wasn't as painful to recall as the ones she had of her family ( _ **gonegonegone**_ ). She then started to hesitantly stretch her chakra again, bit by bit, ignoring her recent mental note to _not do it again,_ before slowly releasing it. When she began to feel tired from the monotonous stretching and releasing motions, (which barely lasted a minute), she rested for a while to allow her mind to wander to other thoughts.

* * *

While Kaida was resting, she was too preoccupied to notice Haruki standing by the doorway in a defensive stance. She didn't realize that the constant stretching and compressing of her chakra acted like a frantic chakra flare to the nearby sensor. As soon as he sensed the flares, he rushed to the children's room, ready to _**kill**_ anyone who would **_dare_** to harm **_his babies._** When he came to the room with no enemy in sight, but his eldest _playing_ with her chakra at only a few months after her birth, well, surprised was an understatement.

Calculating eyes narrowed in thought, he silently stepped out of the room, multiple plans already forming in his mind concerning this new information. He would have to inform Amaya about this and decide on the next course of action.

After all, Haruki wasn't a Jōnin in the Intelligence Division for nothing.

* * *

Sighing, Kaida looked over towards the one person that she had been avoiding all thoughts about ever since her rebirth(she shudders when recalling that experience. Never again will she think about how she came out of a woman's vagi- ). There was a childish hope that if she didn't think about something, then it didn't exist. Closing her eyes, Kaida inhaled deeply before rolling over to stare at the person dozing peacefully next to her.

Sleepy crimson eyes blinked at the shifting motion before snuggling closer to Kaida, drool slowly leaking from the corners of her mouth. Karin's bright, fire engine red hair sprouted out of her head in spiky little tufts, foreshadowing her future hairstyle. The adorable(albeit slightly disgusting with the drool) scene caused a part of her to _awww_ at the sight, before abruptly stiffening at her actions.

Shit.

She absolutely, positively _cannot_ get attached to Karin of all people. She was not going to get close to the girl who was going to get stabbed by a certain avenging emo. As if she was going to give herself even more grief. ' _But you can change that, prevent your sister from anyone who dares to harm her,'_ the sneaking thought whispered in her mind.

No. She was not Karin's sister( _her only sister was Olivia_ ), so she would not be obliged to change _anything._ The plot had worked out fine before, and it would work out fine now, regardless of her actions. But, she did worry about any ripples she might have caused just by being born. As far as she knew, Karin hadn't had a sister, nor were her parents shown in the manga. ' _Dead dead dead, they're allll dead,'_ the pesky voice in her mind singsonged. As callous as it sounded, these people weren't her family, so she didn't feel responsible for their safety. At least, that was what she told herself. Kaida had hoped that this time, she wouldn't be as easily attached to people as she was in her past life (that didn't sound weird at all).

She slowly placed bricks around her heart and cemented every nook and cranny in her fortress. She then wrapped chains around the whole thing, locked it, and metaphorically threw away the key. There. Now, no one can get passed her defenses and guilt her into helping them.

Then Karin yawned and _hugged_ Kaida like she was her personal giant teddy bear, a slight smile on her face as she dreamed of unicorns, rainbows, and whatever the hell kids dreamed about in this world. Probably kunais, other sharp pointy objects, or Sasuke.

 _'Nononono'_ she mentally panicked as she felt all her hard work crumbling right before eyes. Damn it. Goddamn her weakness to all things cute. Kaida struggled to put the defenses back up before deeming it as a lost cause.

Fine.

FINE! She will try to help Karin in surviving this godforsaken world where kids run around stabbing people or frying them like some sick form of a giant barbecue. But that's it. There won't be anymore people that she'll be putting on her new "To Save" list, no matter what. _'Even if they're your parents? Like it or not, they will probably raise you with love like last time, will_ _you be able to live with yourself if you did nothing?'_ her stupid conscience asked. _'Yeah, well no one asked you. Screw you!'_ Kaida retorted, before abruptly stopping because she was arguing with _herself._ Great, not only did she have to go through puberty, dodge flying sharp projectiles from people who wanted to kill her because of her heritage, but now she was insane.

She wonders briefly about the supposed link that twins were rumored to have between each other. She had heard rumors that they could read each other's mind, so she put it to the test.

Narrowing her eyes in frustration, she frowned at Karin as one thought ran through her mind.

 _'This is all your fucking fault you know.'_

* * *

 _"Talking to yourself is normal. So is arguing with yourself. However, you're in deep shit if you lose that argument."_ -Anonymous

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

So Kaida tries and fails to get attached. One of her many weaknesses, getting too easily attached. This took awhile because I had my AP exam today, which was really stressful, and I had to study. Finished it, now awaiting the results in July. God, I hope I passed that monster. That's why it took awhile, and also this chapter is the longest yet. I started this as a writing exercise, but now I'm actually getting attached to this story. I've got lots of ideas for this now, nothing major yet.

Thank you those of you who reviewed **Failing Wings, Llyrica, native-x, Nitefallen,** and **FearThePanda.** Those reviews were read carefully and I tried to improve my story based on those comments about more description. I may have had a happy grin while reading them.

Reviews will be welcomed with open arms and a little happy dance. Can't improve my story without anyone pointing out my mistakes.


	4. Heritage

**Disclaimer : I don't own anything from Naruto, so don't go suing me for any copyright crap. The only thing I own are anything that doesn't seem familiar like Kaida, other OC's in the future, and any plot deviations. I forgot to do this the last three chapters, and I'll only say this once for the rest of this story. I hope you enjoy this story and have a nice day.**

 **Beta:** No one yet, searching for one though. Just a chat about plot planning works.

* * *

 _"There is no greater warrior than a mother protecting her child"_ -N.K. Jemison

* * *

Kaida was starting to have a love-hate relationship with chakra.

She loved the way it defied all laws of physics, how it was basically magic that everyone had. It was extremely fascinating to her how everyone's chakra had their own unique feel to them. Her mother's signature felt like the cool ocean, always churning around and _flowing._ She always knew when her mother was nearby by the sharp briny tang that distinctly reminded her of the sea. Her father, however, was the complete opposite. His chakra simmered quietly, softly glowing like burning ashes. She had a thought that if he was ever angered or defending his family, it would rise like an inferno, turning all who dared to harm his family into dust.

However, she absolutely _**hated**_ the way she couldn't control it. Every time she attempted to direct the flowing energy into, say, her hands it would always slip out of her grasp. It felt like trying to grab onto water, being able to _feel_ it, but unable to actually _hold_ onto it. To say it was frustrating was the understatement of the century. The most she could do was stretch and compress it, unable to use it for anything useful.

With nothing to do, Kaida had begun to continuously repeat her stretching and compressing chakra exercise every day, only resting when exhaustion started to set in. She often pushed herself past her limits so that when she slept, she would (hopefully) be too exhausted to have any recurring nightmares about her past. At least she was pleased to find that the continuous stretching of her chakra caused it to increase in it's capacity albeit slowly. Her familiarness with the alien substance had also grown with the interaction, though it wasn't enough for her to control it well. No wonder babies cried all the time, she would bawl all the time if she didn't have something to occupy her overactive mind.

Kaida had thought about restraining her obviously more advanced mind, but decided against it. She highly doubted that she could hide anything from her ( _ **not**_ ) parents who she suspected to be shinobi. As if _she,_ an inexperienced infant, could stand a chance against trained murderers who had years of experience in reading body language. Pfft, she may not be suffering from any self esteem issues, but even she wasn't as cocky enough to assume that she could get anything past them. She'll put _some_ effort in not seeming _too_ much of a prodigy though. As if she would willingly add more things to stress about on her plate.

' _The toddler years are going to be painfully boring,'_ Kaida thought.

* * *

After 4 months, she decided that it was time to talk. She could say that it was because she wanted to get a head start on the foreign language but really, she was just annoyed with the constant "say tou-san, Kaida," or the much more insistent "no, say kaa-san!" Kaida once heard a saying back then, "happy wife, happy life."

So that settled the decision on what her first word would be. During breakfast, while her mother,(Amaya, was it?), was washing the dishes and her father,(Haruki?), was trying to coax words out of his twins, Kaida mentally smirked and opened her mouth.

"Kaa-san."

There was a sudden clattering as the dishes slipped from Amaya's hands as both parents openly gaped at Kaida. '... _Did I overdo it?_ 'she thought, musing about what went wring as she continued to innocently smile on the outside. She was so lost in her musings that she missed the long, heavy stare between her parents. They quickly broke off the silent conversation and turned their attention back to Kaida.

"Whoo I knew you were mama's girl Kaida!"

Feeling a little pity on her father, who was currently slumping in his own depressed corner of woe, Kaida gave one last effort in talking.

"Tou-san"

She swears that the man used genjutsu when everything became bright with sunshine and Haruki's eyes literally _sparkled_. Glitter and all.

"Kami, you two are adorable. Tou-san loves you both very much," he cooed.

Shivering with a mixture of horror and regret of her decision to start talking, Kaida simply smiled and reverted back to babbling nonsense.

* * *

Later, as the twins slept in their room, faint, hushed whispers could be heard in the parent's bedroom.

"All the evidence points to her being a prodigy Amaya."

"What are we going to do? With how Kiri has been getting restless, there have been talks of a bloodline purge."

"With the high possibility of Kaida being a prodigy too, they're going to come after us soon."

There was a brief moment of heavy silence, before a fiercely protective voice rose in anger.

"If anyone even **_dares_** to harm our family, then I'll kill them all, the village be damned. I _will not_ allow anymore of my loved ones to die because of the village Haruki!"

A placating voice with hard, unseen eyes answered "The both of us will protect them. I'll keep an ear out for any more information in my division."

He continued with "No matter what, we are all going to get through this _together._ "

* * *

 **One month later**.

* * *

After 5 long, insufferable months of being unable to move around without rolling to her intended destination, Kaida could now crawl. Because she didn't have a clue about childhood development, she just estimated (aka stumbled around blindly) for the approximate age that a toddler should start walking. Crawling around the admittedly sparsely furnished room, she toddled over to where Karin was currently attempting to eat a rubber kunai.

' _Having weapons around kids. Wow, now that wasn't obvious at all, the way people are trying to desensitize their kids from weapons at an early age,_ ' she mentally rolled her eyes at the sight.

Karin let out a happy gurgle at Kaida, excitedly waving her arms, rubber kunai still in her mouth. Scooching over to Karin, Kaida quickly took the kunai out of her mouth, placing it aside and discretely wiping her hands, she babbled to Karin "Wa'ch me," before struggling to stand up. With Karin watching avidly, Kaida first attempted to balance in a tripod position, before, clutching the wall, proudly standing up and hobbling a few steps (she had better be proud after the endless hours secretly practicing for that moment). She briefly basked in Karin's clapping(which reminded her of another sister whose eyes had shone just as brightly) before chirping "You try 'Rin-chan," again, surpressing the memory of a certain brown haired girl with purple facial tattoos.

The sight of Karin concentrating on the daunting task with the tip of her tongue sticking out brought out a giggle from Kaida as Karin shakily tried to stand up. She quickly fell on her bottom after a second, her muscles not yet used to the exertion. "Aww," Karin pouted cutely (though Kaida will never admit it) before crawling on all fours towards Amaya, who was sitting by a low table (what's with everything being so low? Low tables, low chairs, though it was easily accessible for a short toddler like her.).

"Kaa-san!" Kaida babbled as both the twins crawled over to their mother, who seemed to be practicing her calligraphy. They both looked in awe at Amaya's graceful and elegant brushstrokes, each character standing out starkly against the white scroll.

"Ohhh" the twins simultaneously breathed, eyes widened in wonder.

"It looks like the Uzumaki heritage runs strong in their blood" Haruki chuckled, startling Kaida, who wasn't paying attention, though Karin merely glanced up at him, as if she had already noticed him. ' _Does she already have the Mind's Eye sensing?_ ' Kaida's crimson eyes narrowed in thought.

"Indeed, they're gonna go places someday. " Amaya's ocean blue eyes were filled with pride as she smiled at the fraternal twins. The aforementioned kids both turned to their parents, blinking, not understanding their conversation.

Amaya turned back to her daughters, an idea slowly forming in her mind.

"How about it my dears, do you want to learn our Uzumaki tradition of sealing?" _'This should help protect them, if anything happens',_ She thought.

Scarlet orbs widened, before both nodding their heads emphatically, hair flying around wildly.

"Alright then, lessons start tomorrow morning."

"Hey hey, once they're old enough, I could train them in taijutsu and other things" Haruki supplied, ' _So that when the time comes when they have to run or defend themselves, they'll be ready._ '

Kaida, oblivious to her parent's thoughts, merely giggled happily that she could be better equipped to protect her precious people.

* * *

 _Repeated beeping echoed throughout the sterile room, reminding all nearby patients of their limited time._

 _Labored breathing could be faintly heard, along with muffled painful groans._

 _"Nurse, where's Olivia?" a raspy voice pleaded._

 _"She's in critical condition right now miss. She'll be undergoing surgery later."_

 _"Please, just save her, I don't care if I die, just please, **let her live**."_

* * *

Kaida frowned at the unwanted memory flashing through her mind.

' _I will **not** lose anyone else because I was helpless. **Never** again._ '

* * *

 _'There is nothing more terrifying than someone hellbent on protecting their family.'_ -Me

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

So, yeah a brief snippet of Kaida's past continues to leak through. The story will slowly be picking up the pace, an I'm working on making the chapters longer then the previous one. That will mean that updates will probably be slow. Finals are coming up, and damn my schedule is packed. On a brighter note, 1,129 hits, 37 favs, 64 alerts, and it's in 6 communities! Whoo! No one reviewed the last chapter though. Oh well, reviews will still be welcomed with hugs and a happy dance. And of course, a cookie.

Any constructive criticism will be GREATLY appreciated, as it will help improve this story. Random "good jobs" work too.


	5. Promises

**Beta:** Still no one. Oh well.

* * *

 _'Some promises are lies that we never meant to tell'_ \- Robin Maxwell

* * *

香燐

"Do you know what this says?" Amaya gently prompted.

Wide, curious eyes narrowed in concentration before shaking their heads, clearly not comprehending the kanji. ' _It just looks like a bunch of squiggles,_ ' Kaida mused. ' _I have a feeling that learning this is going to take a while._ '

"This is your name Karin, it means 'fragrance'. You were so, so sweet when we first saw you." Another precise brushstroke was made, creating another group of characters.

甲斐田

"And this, is your name Kaida. It means 'little dragon', because the day you were born, you let out a fierce roar," Amaya recalled, a faint smile warming her face.

It was more like she was crying and screaming her eyes out because she had just been reborn into a world where people breath out fire like it's nobody's business, but hey, whatever floats her boat. Kaida sure wasn't going to argue with a name like that. Better "little dragon" then being called a fishcake, in her opinion. Besides, it wasn't like she could change her name at the time.

うずまき

"This says Uzumaki, our clan name." Amaya's voice held a slight tinge of pride, though an unidentifiable emotion flickered briefly in her eyes.

"U-zu-ma-ki?" Came the chorus reply. (Seriously, that was kinda creepy in Kaida's opinion. Oh well, as long as she wasn't on the receiving end of it.)

"It was our clan. It was once a very powerful clan in Uzushiogakure, renown throughout the Nations for their sealing prowess." Amaya fondly recalled,"Uzushio was a beautiful land, with a sparkling river that flows through the heart of the village. The people were, in a word, _lively._ " She chuckled, "They had so much joy in life, so much _energy,_ that it was said that their hair was stained crimson like blood, signifying the potent life force that runs through their veins. Everyone thought we were savages or barbarians because of our wild and free ways. We just laughed at their ignorance."

Karin noticed Amaya's use of the past tense.

"Wha' happened?" she asked, large eyes filled with innocence. Nobody noticed as both Amaya and Kaida's eyes darkened in sorrow.

"Rin-chan," Her mother began softly, after a moment of silence, "People fear what they cannot control. They fear the unknown and powerful, and that fear leads to cruel decisions to eliminate it." The room was deathly quiet, a change from the lighthearted mood from just minutes before. As realization slowly dawned upon the children's faces, Amaya continued.

"It was destroyed." A collective faint, but sharp intake of breath penetrated the silence.

"There was a massive invasion, formed by temporary alliances between several villages." ' _Remember our history, and learn that even the mighty can fall,_ ' Amaya mentally wished for her family.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when she noticed that her children were just a bit _too_ quiet. A glance showed their small frames shaking almost imperceptible, slightly trembling like a leaf.

"Oh my dears, don't be scared, Kaa-chan will _**never**_ let anyone come after you." She tried to comfort them, mistaking the trembling for fear. Her actions were halted by a soft voice.

"No, that's not it."

Peering into Karin's eyes, she was startled to find that instead of fear, like she had originally thought, she found grief and a faint glint of anger in those eyes that were so much like Haruki's. Another peek at Kaida showed the same results.

"How could they just _do_ that?" Kaida asked in disbelief.

"Kaa-san, no leave us please!" Karin interrupted, turning pleading eyes at Amaya.

Stunned eyes quickly softened as Amaya reached over to pinch both of the twin's noses, causing them to squeel in displeasure. "My dears, your father and I will _always_ protect you, no matter what. We will not abandon you until the day that you are filled with happiness, even then, we will always support you. We won't leave you, Karin, Kaida."

"Promise?" Kaida pleaded. Both she and Karin crawled closer to their mother,

"I promise."came the unusually serious tone from the normally lighthearted Uzumaki mother.

Amaya usually valued honesty, but in this case, she figured it couldn't hurt to lie just this once. _'Just this once, please let me be able to keep this promise, just this one,'_ she mentally prayed to Kami, or whoever was listening.

Sastisfied with the promise, the twins cuddled to their mother, both yawning as the exhaustion from the impromptu history lesson and emotional turmoil began to take their toll. She just chuckled as she ruffled their heads, pulling them closer into her embrace, crimson hair falling over to form a protective curtain.

' _I promise to always protect you two with all I've got, never letting you experience loneliness like I had._ '

* * *

They were two years old by the time they finally got to experience the foreign world outside their home.

It started with a "Kaida, Karin, it's time for you to see your village with your mother." from Haruki. He had a slight nervous aura around him that would have been impossible to notice if it weren't for the slight tremor in his chakra. "Would you like to help your mother in grocery shopping?"

Excited, the red haired twins both chirped out a "Yes!" and raced over to their room to get ready.

Karin was ecstatic as she pulled on her sandals, babbling "Isn't this great?" to Kaida, who was more slow in preparing.

"Yeah..." she trailed off, distracted in her thoughts. It was already hard enough trying to keep a secret from two shinobi, but to hide it from a whole village? To say she was nervous was an understatement. Kaida sighed as she thought that at least, she got to see what village she lived in. Not once did her parents say anything about where they lived, nor did they ever reveal their hitai-ate **.** She hoped that she wasn't anywhere near Kiri or Konoha.

* * *

As the twins followed Amaya like ducklings, Kaida surreptitiously glanced at everyone she encountered, taking note of any odd looks her family may have garnered. The people here were, peculiar, in a word. Some of them had outlandish hair color such as neon blue hair, others had _sharp teeth_ like a shark. However, they all held the same distrustful glint in their eyes as they gazed at the red haired twins. She didn't mention any of these peculiarities to her mother, for fear of attracting unwanted attention.

Karin, however, had no such reservations.

"Kaa-san, look! How come everyone looks weird?" She tried to whisper to Amaya, who was examining a stall that was filled with turnips. The woman who was managing the stall, overheard, and she chuckled dryly. "Your children are an interesting bunch." She commented, assessing eyes raking over the twins.

"Yes, they are." Amaya gave a clipped response, her dark blue eyes reflecting the same distrust that Kaida had observed in the villagers. The twins were subtly hidden from view as Amaya shifted around the stalls to inspect other goods. Karin babbled to her mother, as Kaida listened to her surroundings. She heard brief snippets of hushed conversation, ranging from common pleasantries, to gossip. She filtered through them, instead paying attention to anything that might sound important. One topic, in particular caught her attention.

"Have you heard of the recent kidnappings?" The hushed words whispered, which, after briefly checking, belonged to an elderly woman, who was shopping nearby.

"Yes, I've also heard that it was due to that new group"

"The slavery traders?"

"Yes, those horrible people. Rumor has it that they will even sell children to anyone who is interested. " There was a sharp gasp as the woman''s companion covered her mouth with her hands.

"How horrifying." The women drifted away, eventually going out of Kaida's hearing range. She had already lost interest in the conversation, focusing instead on increasing her sensing range.

Kaida had already determined long ago that she didn't have Karin's Mind's Eye sensing skill. Instead, she just had regular sensing skills, which she planned on honing to the point that it was as good as Karin's. So far, her range was only about 3 kilometers, while Karin could sense people from 5 kilometers away.

Gripping Karin's hands for guidence, she closed her eyes and focused on separating each chakra signature around her. She noticed how each person had their own signature, but all had the same bitter tang of distrust. Kaida frowned at the animosity between every villager, almost palpable in the way everyone silently assessed each other for betrayal.

When they returned home, Kaida asked her mother the one question that had been pestering her mind since the shopping trip.

"Kaa-san, where do we live?"

Amaya glanced over to her curiously for a moment, before answering nonchalantly, "We live in the Village of Riptide, a small village in the Land of Waves. Most shinobi live in Kirigakure, which is nearby, but your father and I would rather live here." She moved on to placing the groceries away, unaware that Kaida had frozen in place, a stiff look on her face.

' _I live near Kiri?_ ' she thought with rising horror. Kiri, with their bloody graduation exams and violent shinobi? She distinctly recalled that Karin had been a _Grass_ shinobi, which was what, all the way on the other side of the Land of Fire? Her birth couldn't possibly have changed anything this much could it?

Kaida quickly shoved away the growing hysteria as she mechanically walked into her room, plopping into bed with a heavy thought in her head.

' _What have I done?_ '

* * *

 **Omake: Uzumaki Charm**

* * *

Kaida was surprised at the Uzumaki history, despite her foreknowledge on the matter. As far as she could remember, the manga had virtually nonexistent information on the clan. All it consisted of was that they were sealing masters, who had red hair and a ridiculously long lifespan (just look at Mito, she was the first Hokage's wife, and she lived all the way to the Third's reign.)

She couldn't quite understand why she grieved for people who she had never met, who she should have no concern for. Not only that, she was actually more than a little pissed that someone would _**dare**_ to hurt _ **her**_ people, _ **her family.**_ Her growing rant paused as a new thought arose. ' _Am I actually getting attached to this world?_ ' Kaida wondered. Another moment of contemplation revealed to her that yes, she was attached to her new family, just as strongly as she did in her past. Which was strange, considering that she spent roughly 5-6 months with this new family.

She blamed it on one of Nature's mysteries, known as the Uzumaki charm, which was reputed to be capable of turning all their foes into friends.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Ehehe, so at the beginning of this story, I had looked at a baby name website for a suitable Japanese name. I found Kaida, and thought it was all good. However, when writing this chapter and researching a bit more, it turns out that Kaida actually doesn't mean "little dragon." It doesn't even have anything to do with dragons, something about rice fields. So, as it's a bit late in changing it now, we are all going to pretend that Kaida means little dragon. Ahahaha, I apologize if this offended any native Japanese speakers. I didn't intend for this to happen.

Thanks to all the reviewers, who include **kani-leek-lover, Not-Gonna-Update, Llyrica, Sparksofrandomness,** and **Guest.** Believe me when I say that All those reviews really motivated me.

Quick question: Has there ever been a fic where the main character died before the main events happened? For example, has there ever been a fic where Naruto is killed off before the story ever began? I imagine that the author must be seriously brave to face the controversy of his/her readers. **This does not mean that I will be doing this**. I'm just curious, that's all.

To check the writing progress on the next chapter, check my profile.

Reviews will be welcomed with open arms, as it will help me improve my writing.


	6. Wishes

**Beta:** Pfft, what beta?

* * *

 _"Sometimes, wishes don't always come true. However, that also means that some do come true."_

* * *

She was three by the time her parent's finally decided that the twin's were old enough to exercise and practice taijutsu. Kaida thought that it would consist of the basic push ups, stretching, and general running. She should have known better.

"Keep your center of gravity low" Haruki barked, throwing blunted kunai at the twins, who were frantically dodging them.

The kunai may not have been able to cut skin, but it still stung like a bitch, as the twins have experienced, with bright red marks on their skin to prove it.

"Tell us again why you're throwing _kunai_ at us... tou-san?" Kaida wheezed, as she scrambled away from yet _another_ volley of those damn projectiles.

"Pain will help you learn" Haruki replied, a certain glint in his eyes. He liked to call it _encouragement_. The twins called it sadism. Karin started to whine in protest, but was quickly halted by her father.

"Before you learn how to attack, you first have to know how to dodge and defend." He instructed, "The most powerful jutsu mean nothing if you can't dodge a kunai to the throat first." He fixed the children a hard stare, a complete turnabout from his usual goofy self. "The skills you learn will one day save your lives. When two people of equal strength face off, even the slightest edge will determine whether or not you live."

He watched as each of the twin's eyes were slowly filled with resolve, and he mentally smiled at the sight that his precious children were learning. He didn't give any outward signs of his thoughts though, as that would ruin the "stern, yet cool" image that he had been cultivating. No, it wouldn't do at all to reveal his thoughts.

"Does anyone have any objections?" When no one said anything, he nodded once and readied his kunai again.

"Then prepare your stances, Rin-chan, Kai-chan." A chorus of determined replies echoed around the training field behind their house.

"Hai!"

* * *

Months passed, with the grueling physical training(from a three year old's perspective) only being broken up by monthly excursions to the wilderness that surrounded their home. These trips generally lasted a week long, with Haruki teaching the twins on how to survive on their own, eventually ending each lesson with fishing for an hour. The fishing part had sounded positively boring to the twins when Haruki first announced it.

* * *

 _The sounds of trickling water gradually filled their ears as they followed their father, dragging their feet after hours of trekking through the forest and memorizing several names of edible plants. When they questioned Haruki about it, he replied that they were ending the day with some fishing._

" _Aww, fishing is booring! Let's just go home already." The twins immediately whined upon hearing the news._

 _"Now now, how can it be boring when you haven't even tried it?" Haruki chided. "Besides, we could always work on your dodging if you insist.."_

 _He chuckled at the resounding denial as he turned away to walk towards a bubbling creek that was in front of them, "Fishing is a vital skill to learn, as we live in the Land of Water, where the oceans surround us." He turned around, with a mischievous smile, "this is where we will learn how to fish."_

 _"Where are the fishing poles?" Kaida asked, frowning around in confusion._

 _"Ah, this is where it gets a little fun," Haruki's smile widened,"We will not be using fishing poles."_

 _"How are we gonna fish then?"_

 _His smile increasing to impossible lengths, he replied with "By spear, of course."_

 _The rest of the day was spent learning how to use the spear effectively and how to crouch to position their shadow in such a way as to not scare the fish. Eventually, Kaida had grown fond of the session._

* * *

The memory ended with Kaida noticing that Haruki had stopped quizzing them on the various uses of cattails. She glanced up quizzically at him, head tilted in a silent question.

"Let's call it a day and skip the fishing trip." The words causing the twin's eyes to widen in shock. Their father, the _training fanatic,_ was actually ending the day early? Both pair of eyes narrowed in suspicion, slowly backing away as they cautiously asked, "Who are you? Where's our _real_ tou-san?"

Haruki frowned and rolled his eyes in exasperation, "oh stop it you two, honestly, I'm not _that_ uptight," muttering under his breath.

Ah, there's the daddy dearest that they knew of.

There was a sigh or relief as they questioned him on the reason on the change of heart, but he refused to answer, instead heading towards their small home. The only words he gave was a vague "You'll see."

When they arrived home, Haruki subtly slowed down, so that he was walking behind the twins.

Opening the front door, they called out "We're home Kaa-san!", frowning confusedly at the darkened room. None of them noticed the wide grin that Haruki sported.

"Surprise!" The announcement resounded in the room, startling the girls when the lights flickered on, revealing their mother. Who happened to be holding a small birthday cake with four candles sitting proudly atop it, all the while singing Happy Birthday along with Haruki, both with wide grins on their faces.

The twins both squeeled in delight, their birthday having never crossed their minds.

 _"Happy Birthday to Kaida and Kariiin."_ Haruki's off pitch singing causing the entire family to giggle, while Amaya placed the cake on the table where everyone gathered.

" _Happy Birthday to you,_ " they finished softly, before Amaya prompted the gleeful twins to "Make a wish, both of you."

Quickly squeezing their eyes shut they both held their breaths for a few moments, before simultaneously opening them and blowing out the candles.

"I've made your favorite dishes. Okonomiyaki for Karin and gyoza for Kaida." The words causing their faces to brighten, they cheered as they scrambled to the table where the food was set down before them with a flourish by Haruki.

Karin gave a brief look at disgust at the gyoza, before turning her attention to the okonomiyaki on her plate, happily crying out "itadakimasu!" and proceded to scarf down her helping. Kaida did the same with her gyoza, both ravenous from the rigorous training.

Kaida had never tried much japanese cuisine in her past life, so she had been a bit hesitant in trying gyoza for the first time. However, a couple bites later, she was now a die hard fan of it's savory filling and thin, crispy skin. Her eyes were closed in bliss as she munched on the little dumplings. The twins were brought out of their happiness when their mother spoke.

"Your tou-san and I got you two little presents too." The words causing their eyes to widen in surprise. They weren't the wealthiest family, as their rather sparsely furnished home suggested, so they hadn't been expecting much. They gaped at Amaya as she first brought out two necklaces with a pendent hanging from it, gleaming silver in the light. As it revolved around, Kaida could see the Uzumaki clan emblem engraved in it, etched with pride.

"This," Amaya said softly, "is our Uzumaki clan symbol." She gently placed the necklace around each of their heads, reminding Kaida of a crowning ceremony. "Wear it with pride, as all Uzumaki are family. No matter what, you will never be alone, because your family will always have your back." The words causing them to look at their necklace with a mixture of pride and reverence, lips parted in awe.

"My turn, my turn to sound cool!" Haruki blurted, grinning as he unintentionally broke the moment. Amaya rolled her eyes at her husband's childishness, quietly muttering, "Looks like I'm the only adult in this household."

The girls giggled as they eagerly awaited their next present. Watching with rapt interest, Karin gasped excitedly as Haruki brought out several small vials of perfume. She had developed a hobby of collecting them ever since she found out that her name meant "sweet fragrence." Squeeling in delight, she thanked her father before rubbing them to her cheek.

"Your turn, Kaida-chan"

She breathed in a sharp intake of air as her eyes were glued to the object that Haruki placed in front of her. Haruki's next words barely regestaring as she continued to examine every inch of her present.

"I thought, that, given your aptitude with the spear, you might as well have your own."

And oh, it was beautiful. The design was simple, a short cylindrical shape that, with a twist, extended with a long spear that gleamed with a dull finish. The handle was made from a lightweight dark grey metal, while the spearhead itself was finely sharpened to a point. All in all, it was the best birthday present that she could ever want. A spear was perfect for her small form, as it had a long reach, and, when wielded correctly, was a deadly weapon.

* * *

 _"The spear is not only a useful tool for fishing, but it can also be a powerful weapon." Haruki's words echoed once again throughout the training field._

 _"Don't hold it by the end like some common sword, hold it with your hands spaced widely apart at the center. Feel the gracefulness of it, for it is not just a weapon, but merely an extension of your will."_

 _Karin struggled with it, the spear tumbling out of her hands every so often. She growled in frustration as she experimentally swung, the awkward move nearly causing her to fall._

 _Kaida, on the other hand, had better success with it. Her hands instinctively moved toward the correct position, as the world fell away in her vision. There was nothing but herself and the spear. Both her breathing and heartbeat slowed as she fell into a trance, with everything becoming more focused. She slowly swung the weapon, the move a little foreign due to it's unfamiliarness, but it was slowly improving. She was surprised to find out that she was better at Karin at this one subject. Karin usually bested her at chakra control, sensing range, and overall taijutsu. This, of course, sparked her usually hidden competitive streak, causing Kaida to strive to become the best._

 _The world snapped back into focus when Haruki cleared his throat, a slight glimmer of an unknown emotion flickering in his eyes as he assessed them._

 _"Well, looks like Kaida has some talent with the spear, just as I figured."_

* * *

"I love you guys so much!" Kaida cried out as she leapt out at her parents, (it was still a bit strange that she had already accepted them as such) tackling their pleased forms, everyone laughing at the reaction.

"I promise to use this to best protect my family." She solemnly swore, staring into their eyes as she clutched the weapon to her chest. They were a bit taken aback by the declaration, but pride quickly filled their eyes as they ruffled her hair.

"Now, isn't it the parent's role to protect you guys?" Haruki teased.

"Nuh uh! We're gonna protect you guys too. Family protect each other, right?" Karin declared.

"Ah, so you do pay attention to our speeches," Amaya taunted, eyes dancing with mirth.

Karin just stuck her tongue out, which caused the household erupted into laughter again,before Haruki asked the twins what they wished for.

"Not telling, it might jinx it." Karin replied to their mock pouting faces.

"Fine, fine,now off to bed, the both of you. You've had a long day." Amaya shooed them to their bedrooms, having observed Karin's barely concealed yawn. She ignored the ensuing whining protests of "we're not tired," and "aww, already?".

Once they were tucked in bed and Amaya had left the room, Karin shifted around to Kaida, whispering "Happy birthday!"

Kaida smiled, repeating the words to her sister before closing her eyes, already drifting off to sleep. Her wish quietly echoing in her mind, slowly lulling her to sleep.

 _"I wish that everyday was like this, with everyone safe and happy."_

* * *

"Whoo, that was eventful." Haruki sighed as he cleaned up the table, wincing as he picked up something that was unidentifiable. He shivered a little before tossing it away.

"Yes, the kids were excited about the surprise," Amaya commented, softly humming as she washed the dishes.

"My purse feels lighter after their presents, that's for sure." He joked.

"We did agree to making as many good memories as possible with them" _So they can outweigh the bad ones that's sure to follow,_ the unsaid words were heard.

"If Kiri would stop the purges."

"One can only hope."

* * *

 **Author's Note**

Whew, two finals down, six to go. So yeah, Kaida is gonna have a spear as her weapon, apart from the usual kunai/shuriken/ninja wire stuff. This is because she needs a weapon that can extend her short range, and a katana/ sword is just much too heavy. Plus, I didn't want her to be like the other OCs who always use a sword. Seriously, that's not the only weapon available. Plus, Balsa from Seirei no Moribito, anyone?

Someone asked if Kaida and Karin are going to to move to Grass in the future. The answer to that is shown in little hints throughout the previous chapters. If you squint and tilt your head, then you can piece them together. Or that's just me.

Great thanks to all those who reviewed last chapter, **Llyrica, kani-leek-lover, Sparksofrandomness, native-x, Poodles in Purses,** and **Maya I. Hendricks.** I've said this many times, but I really, really appreciate those reviews.

To check the writing progress on the next chapter, check my profile.

Reviews will be welcomed with open arms, as it will help me improve my writing.


	7. Purge

**Beta:** Yeah, no. Still searching for one.

* * *

 _"Funny how the best day of your life can turn into your worst in just a split second"_

* * *

"Rise and shine princesses!" Amaya cried out as she threw kunai at the sleeping twins, who groaned as they rolled to dodge it with practiced ease.

"C'mon breakfast is ready, and you got your sealing lesson to look forward to after that." She chirped, making no attempt whatsoever to hide her grin at her children's disheveled appearance as they dragged themselves to get ready.

Breakfast was quickly scarfed down as they prepared for the lesson. Amaya did not appreciate tardiness, as shown in past experiences.

"Name the two basic seals that every beginner starts with" Amaya barked.

"The two basic seals are the storage seal and the explosive seal." Kaida responded promptly.

"Why is that, Karin?"

"Because it provides the basis for almost all the seals possible."

"Good. Why is it still important to practice calligraphy?"

Kaida internally smiled as she replied with "Cuz if you mess up on one kanji in the sealing up, you will blow your heads off!"

"Correct, young grasshoppers," Amaya grinned.

* * *

After the lesson, they finally got to their favorite part of the day: taijutsu spars.

They started off with some stretching, faces crinkling into drowsy yawns as they contently listened to their joints pop. Each of them slowly made their way to the center of the training field behind their house, as they sank into a defensive stance.

"Don't use Tofu, Kaida. That's cheating." Karin laid out the only rule. When Kaida had first gotten her spear, she had fussed about picking out a suitable name for it, finally settling on 'Tofu-chan.'

Kaida agreed, before shouting out "Let's begin!"

Karin started by swinging her fist at Kaida's side, who dodged before lashing out a kick. They continued to exchange blows, some missing because the other dodged. It mostly consisted of dodging while trying to beat the other person up. For some odd reason, they both enjoyed it, grinning whenever the other's blow missed their head by a hairsbreadth.

Kaida swept her legs at Karin's legs, fully expecting her to dodge. When she didn't, and she was thrown of her feet, Kaida's eyes widened in surprise.

"What's wrong? You looked a little distracted there." She questioned, helping Karin get up as she dusted of her clothes. Karin frowned as she tilted her head in confusion.

"I don't know, I've been-" Her dazed eyes suddenly sharpened.

"Kaida-nee." The unusually serious tone had Kaida quickly sobering up. She fixed her sister with a questioning gaze.

"There's a large group of people coming this way." Karin's eyes narrowed in concentration, "They'll be here in ten minutes."

Kaida's head shot up as she too felt the signatures pop into her radar. Her eyes glazed a bit as she honed onto the signatures, silently assessing them. ' _Five, ten, twenty..._ ' Her eyes widened in fear.

' _Forty-five signatures coming our way._ '

Why? She racked her brain for all the possible information she had on Kiri. Their bloody graduation exam? No, Karin and her were still too young to enter their Academy, or whatever they called it in Kiri. Wasn't, wasn't their a rebellion or revolution in Kiri? And Zabuza was part of it, was Haku there? Her musing were halted with the last thought.

 _Haku. SnowIceBloodFearPurgeKekkeiGenkaiDeathMobHateHate_

Memories came flooding in as Kaida's advanced mind quickly put together all the pieces to form an answer. If the bloodline purge in Kiri was happening right now, then her family was in danger. If she remembered right, the Uzumaki were persecuted for their sealing skills, and their chakra chains were also feared in the battlefield. Of course, their distinctive red hair also made them easy targets.

 _Targets._

Shit.

"Karin, we need to get kaa-san and tou-san." Kaida barked, adrenaline coursing through her veins. When Karin was still frozen in place, shell shocked at the danger, Kaida pushed Karin, an edge of panic in her voice. "Hurry, there's not much time!"

They scrambled toward their home, every once in a while stumbling over, as they finally reached the entrance. Kaida slammed open the door, her chakra flaring in distress, as she cried out for her parents.

"Kaa-san! Tou-san! There's a large group of people heading here! Karin said that they'll be here in ten minutes!"

Heads swiveled to their direction as their parents assessed their distraught forms.

"Already? Damn it!" Haruki cursed, before quickly snapping into action. He rushed towards the children as Amaya disappeared into a room, quickly coming back out with a few scrolls which she tucked into some hidden pocket of hers. She nodded to Haruki, who turned to the twins with a grim face.

"We need to leave now, don't bother to pick up your things." Haruki instructed, his tone leaving no room for arguments. They both nodded, eyes wide with fear.

They rushed out of the house and into the surrounding forest, the atmosphere tense as they headed deeper into the trees.

"Karin, I need you to update us on the group's progress." Amaya commanded, "Karin, ready your weapon."

"Hai!" their reply came in a chorus.

"They'll reach us in six minutes." Karin concentrated on the signatures, "Twenty of them broke off and are heading to the village."

They pushed their pace even more, hearts rapidly beating as adrenaline continued to course through them.

"4 minutes left." Karin's voice held a slight edge of panic now.

"Amaya." Haruki fixed her with a resigned gaze as he paused at a branch.

"I need you to take the kids and run. I'll lead the group away from you guys while you escape." He softly pleaded, shocking the family.

"Are you insane? You promised that we would get through this _together._ No one gets left behind!" Amaya insisted, her words filled with outrage.

"They will reach us at this rate if there's no bait to occupy them with. This way, at least you can live with the children." He reasoned.

"But-!"

"Amaya, darling." He interrupted, cupping her cheek as he looked at his wife tenderly, "Please."

She glared at him for a moment, before relenting as she roughly pulled him into one final kiss.

"You better come back alive or I'll come after you and drag you back." She ordered, tears beginning to leak out.

Haruki smiled, before replying, "Of course." He turned to the stunned twins.

"Both of you, I'm so proud of you two." Haruki murmured, bringing his heartbroken children in a tight embrace. He choked out his final words as he brushed their hair away from their faces. He wiped away their tears before standing up and sprinting toward the chasing group.

"No matter what, I will always love you two. Take care of each other."

"Tou-san.." Kaida hiccuped, reluctantly turning away as her mother pulled her away to continue their desperate escape.

 _I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I should have remembered, should have prepared better._

* * *

After a few hours of sprinting to a place where even Karin couldn't sense anyone anymore, they arrived at a marsh.

They approached a large tree, where Amaya brushed aside some bush to reveal a small hollow within it's roots.

"I need you two to stay here and conceal your chakra." Amaya ordered, her stern gaze instantly commanding respect. "I'm going to go help your father, and no, you will _**not**_ be coming along."

"Do not leave this place until I come back. The code phrase will be ' _A woman's desire can pass even through rock'_ Ask this of anyone who comes, even if they look like me."She quickly covered the hollow back with the bush, pausing at Karin's trembling words.

"Kaa-san, you'll come back right?"

The plead had Amaya flinching slightly, before she replied "Of course dear." Amaya purposefully didn't pay attention to any of the _what if's_ that lurked in her mind. She turned around after sparing her shivering children one last glance before heading back towards their burning village.

Kaida and Karin watched her retreating figure with wide eyes. Once it disappeared from their sensing range, the tears began to flow.

"...Kaida-nee, what's going to happen to us?" The whimper was barely heard, but Kaida caught her usage of the honorific. Karin never used honorifics with her unless she was overcome with emotions.

"I don't know, all we can do now is wait." She replied, the words leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. So, they huddled together, shivering as they both didn't acknowledge each others tears.

* * *

Two days had passed, with no sign of either of their parents. Kaida, after assessing her sister's hungry state, decided to leave the tree in search of food. Once she slipped out of the hollow, Karin stirred from her sleep, rubbing her bleary eyes as she asked where she was going.

"I'm going to search for some food." Kaida planned to see if she could forage anything from the surrounding marshes, if not, then she was going to head for the village.

After hours of searching, she only came up with a few handfuls of cattails, which she promptly washed and split between Karin and her. They immediately stripped the leaves from the flower spikes with seasoned hands and munched on them, ignoring the bland taste with practiced ease. Kaida mentally thanked her father for forcing them to go along with his camping trips, before stopping at the sudden pang in her chest at the thought.

When their stomachs still rumbled after the meager meal, Kaida stood up, telling Karin to stay while she scavenged for more food in the probably destroyed village. Karin, of course, refused.

"We can't split up now" _Not after we lost our family_

Kaida just glanced at Karin's determined and haunted eyes before sighing and continued walking. There was no use in trying to talk Karin out of this when she was in this stubborn state. She had better luck in trying to convince a brick wall. There was also a slight desire to have company, after the loss of her parents, though she would never admit it.

Behind her back, Karin grinned at her victory before following Kaida. They marched on for hours, bodies tense in high alert for danger. Every rustle caused them to flinch as Karin inched closer to Kaida, who was fingering her spear. The lack of wildlife chatter was noticeable as they made their way through the dense foliage.

Relief was etched in their faces when they emerged out of the forest, though it was quickly wiped off at the sight of the former village.

Smoke billowed out from the ruins, still hot from the smoldering ashes. The stench of burnt flesh overwhealmed their senses as they gagged, retching with their eyes watering. After taking a moment to compose themselves, they hesitantly approached the wreckage, flinching every time they encountered a dark red stain.

A muffled cry pierced the silence, making Kaida whip around, her spear quickly extending as she faced Karin. Her grip loosened as she followed Karin's horrified gaze and shaking finger pointing at something on the ground. She peered at the object,which was partially covered by a fallen roof, and immediately regretted it.

It was a severely burned corpse, it's face twisted in a silent pained scream as it's arm reached out for something in the distance. Kaida hurriedly covered her sister's eyes as they both scurried away from the site. She recognized it as the lady who had managed the turnip stall, back when she had visited the village for the first time.

They could only last for a few minutes longer in the scorched remains before they gave up the search for food and their parents.

"Kaida-nee, I don't think they're here. I can't sense them at anywhere." None of them mentioned the thought that only the living produced chakra signatures.

"...fine. Let's head back." Kaida relented, squashing down all thoughts of _wherearetheysaidyouwouldn'tleaveus_ and headed back towards their hiding place.

The trip back was uneventful, and it was much to her relief when the familiar clearing appeared. The twins both slumped heavily against the tree as the weight of what they just witnessed took their toll. The images of all the corpse they've encountered and the burning remains of their former village distracted them so much, that they missed the quiet footsteps padding towards them.

"What are we gonna do now?" Karin asked dully, blank eyes staring listlessly into the trees.

"Now, my dear, now you two can come with us." The low voice came behind the two, startling them as they both sprang to their feet and backed away. Kaida immediately brought out her spear and they both slipped into defensive crouches.

"Now, now no need to be so hostile." The man chuckled, dark eyes flashing with amusement. "Especially when you can't escape."

Kaida was about to retort when a muffled yelp caught her attention. She turned to find Karin struggling in another man's arms, her arms thrashing around in futility against the man''s burly arms.

"Nee-san!" Her terrified eyes had tears leaking from the corners as she reached for her sister.

"Don't touch her you son of a-!"Kaida's eyes burned with fury as she gritted her teeth.

"Ah, ah, _ah_. Let go of your weapon first, hime, and we won't hurt you two _too_ much." Bastard #1 crooned, his grin widening to almost inhumane lengths.

Bastard #2 pulled out a knife, pressing it to Karin's throat, causing her to instantly still out of fear.

Kaida gritted her teeth when she looked at Karin, who was watching with wide, pleading eyes. She wasn't sure if Karin was pleading for her to run away or save her. Lowering her head, her expressions were indistinguishable in the shadows as she reluctantly loosened her grip on her weapon.

It clattered on the ground as both men smiled in triumph.

"Wise choice, kid." Bastard #1 and #2 both chuckled as they tied the twin's hands. As they worked, they crowed about their 'new catch' while the girls' faces mirrored their despair.

"These two look like they could be from that village, the one destroyed in the purge"

"Ya know, that red hair of theirs," Bastard #2 fingered Kaida's hair, chuckling as she flinched from his touch. "Almost remind ya of those damned sealing people, What were they called again? The-"

"The Uzumaki? Yeah, those cockroaches just won't die out." Out of their sight, the siblings both shook in anger at their words. The burning fury was soon replaced by cold dread as the two men continued.

"We could sell them for a lot then."

The men continued their conversation as they roughly yanked the now shackled twins along.

The entire march to kami-knows-where passed in a blur, as the twins robotically walked along, all hope having been crushed long ago. They dully looked up when the two men stopped at a small port, where a creaking ship was docked.

The men strode up to the vessel, calling out for someone to come take the girls. Kaida barely noticed the exchange of money as she gripped Karin's hands.

The men left while they were once again yanked into the ship, where despaired sobbing echoed throughout the halls. They silenced when the captain roared at them to "Shut up all of you, 'fore I shut you up myself!"

The twins were shoved into a cell, where another shackled slave was slumped against the wall. He/she did not bother to glance at the newcomers, instead continuing to stare listlessly into the ground before him. The screeching of the cell door slamming shut resounded through the walls.

Kaida stood in front of Karin protectively as she observed the other occupant of the cell.

"Where are we?"

The person finally glanced at her, giving her a few words that confirmed her suspicions, a slight pitying gleam in his otherwise blank eyes.

"You are now slaves. This is a trading ship that transport cargo for the human trafficking business."

* * *

Amaya, her body bruised and bloody, trudged towards the hollow where she had left her children. Blood leaked out of her lips as she called out for her children, wincing at the pain in her throat.

When no one replied, she dragged herself closer to the tree, pausing when her foot bumped into something. Her insides clenched in fear as she picked up the object, recognizing as Kaida's spear, which had lied forgotten in the dirt. She tucked it into her pocket, as she straightened up, her pain having been forgotten.

 _She'll be damned before she would lose anymore of her family._

* * *

 **Author's Note**

Finally, we're here. If you read the previous chapters, I've added slight hints, which was my weak attempt at foreshadowing. So yeah, this is my interpretation on what little we know of Karin's past. With a few changes, of course. School ended, so that means I'll have more time to write, so longer chapters. Now, for some shameless advertising. I wrote an oneshot on the spur of the moment, called **Just like Hide and Seek**. If any of you could check it out then woohoo! There's poll on my profile to see if anyone wants me to continue it.

This was meant to be longer, but the internet went wacky and I lost about a quarter of it before I could save the thing. Words can not describe how annoyed I was at that moment. Hours of work just, gone.

Thanks to all those who reviewed, **Shayde F. Revelle, kani-leek-lover, Llyrica, Your own random stalker, shugokage,** and guest reviewer **alice.**

 **alice:** Uh, I don't understand French, at least, that's what I think it is. However, I still appreciate your comment!

 **kani-leek-lover:** It's almost as if you could read my thoughts on what's going to happen next in this story... O_o

Reviews will be welcomed with open arms, as it will help me improve my writing.

To check the writing progress on the next chapter, check my profile.


	8. Authors Note (and apologies)

**IMPORTANT!:** So. I haven't updated in a while. There are a whole bunch of reasons why, but to sum it all up, majorly serious shit has been going down throughout my whole summer. One of those issues includes my grandma, who had an _**extremely**_ __close brush with death recently. She's, _alive_ , currently, but there are still quite a few problems.

Anyway, I'm sure none of y'all are interested in that. The main reason for this note is to say that I **will not be abandoning this story.** I just... I need a bit of time to get my act together. The next update _will_ come, just, don't expect it to be soon.

For those of you who have been patiently waiting for this good for nothing authoress, here are a few brief snippets of the next chapter, which is monstrous in its length. So sorry for the wait.

* * *

When she had died in her past life, Kaida had never thought that it could ever come to this. The feeling of losing her family _again_ all in one fell swoop was much too familiar, and quite frankly, she was oh so tired of it. Tired of all the violence in this shitty world, how death was so common that no one ever blinked an eye at it anymore. Weary of fearing for her life because of the blood that ran through her veins and ancient grudges that others held against her clan.

To sum it all up, she was fed up with this all this bullshit.

* * *

Amaya glanced at her necklace sitting in her hand. It's appearance was exactly the same same as her children's, complete with a subtly hidden tracking seal inscribed in the back. Clan pride wasn't the only reason in her mind when she gave the twin's their necklaces.

She watched, her palm that had the pendent sitting perfectly still as she focused intently on the pendent. Great care was taken to keep her hand level, because if it wasn't, the results would be compromised, and more time would be wasted in following the false lead.

It shifted ever so slightly to the right, the long distance between it and the twin's matching pendents causing Amaya's to stir feebly towards its matches.

 _'Right,'_ Amaya thought grimly, setting out in the revealed direction. Thank Kami she gave the twins their necklaces, just in case if they were ever separated.

As she set a fast pace towards her ( _ **dear,**_ oh so _ **precious**_ ) children, she steadfastly ignored the searing pain in her chest, wiping away the blood that continued to leak from the corner of her lips. Right now, her children was her first priority, and some injury, potentially fatal or not, was not going to stop her.

Her clothes crackled from the dried blood.

* * *

She was so _fucking **weak**_.

It left a bitter taste in her mouth when she admitted it to herself. This wasn't some fictional world where people could do anything just because they had enough will power. This was a world where the only way to protect others was to become powerful, enough that the willpower could be backed up.

Power. That was what she needed.


End file.
